Chapter 11

Sloan's curiosity burned with intensity as he eagerly turned to face Derek, who stood by his side. His voice filled with anticipation, as he stated, "Seriously, that's it? I have to know" .

As Derek's closest friend at Seattle Grace, Sloan had been privy to the idea that Lucas Grey was Meredith and Lexie Grey's half-brother. It had come up during one of their recent drinking sessions. Initially, he was quite surprised that Derek had actually hired a private investigator, but he chose to remain silent at the time, not wanting to "rock the boat" of their newly established friendship. However, after hearing about what Meredith did earlier in the day, Sloan's curiosity got the better of him.

"What do you want to know?" Derek replied, his attention momentarily diverted as he checked the schedule of surgeons on the hospital surgery board.

Sloan leaned in, asking in all seriousness, "How good was she in bed?"

Derek couldn't believe what he was hearing and replied in surprise, "What are you talking about?"

Sloan emphasized his point, undeterred. "Look, no man in the history of mankind would go looking for a girl's half-brother unless the girl was incredibly good in bed, or rather, great in bed", he stated, placing extra emphasis on the final words of his sentence.

Derek refrained from rolling his eyes, though inwardly he wished he could. He was well aware of Sloan's casual attitude towards sex, viewing it as a mere physical release—a perspective that Derek couldn't entirely align with. To him, sex held a profound significance, representing an intimate connection between two individuals, a sacred bond to be cherished by both partners.

"I didn't do it because the sex was great," he retorted, growing slightly irritated. "I did it because I thought it would help her in a way. Besides, I didn't know about Lucas' circumstances when I hired the P.I"

A slight smile crept onto Sloan's face as he responded, "Aha! So the sex was great! No wonder!"

Derek's patience wore thin, his irritation mounting as Sloan continued to insist on the topic. With an exasperated sigh, he contemplated reprimanding his friend, only to be interrupted by the sight of Dr. Bailey in the distance. Her eyes bore into them, conveying silent disapproval.

"Dr. Bailey."

"Dr. Bailey."

As Dr. Bailey walked past them, Derek and Sloan simultaneously halted their conversation, engulfed in an uncomfortable silence. It was as if they were two teenage girls caught in the act of gossiping about their crush, abruptly silenced by the presence of their disapproving fathers.

Bailey's head shook in disappointment, and she muttered just audibly enough for Derek and Sloan to catch her words, "This used to be a great hospital. Now people are bringing their drama in here."

Immediately embarrassed, both men no longer continued the conversation as they left to go to their respective patients.

Meanwhile, Cristina, Meredith, Izzie, Alex, and George found themselves seated together at one of the cafeteria tables, enjoying their lunch break.

"I still can't believe you told the kid about being his sister and that you're willing to foster him," Christina remarked to Meredith, taking a bite of her sandwich. While Cristina didn't particularly care whether Meredith disclosed the information or not, she would always support her friend's decisions. Still, she couldn't help but be surprised that Meredith offered to foster Lucas.

"Well, I, for one, think what Meredith is doing is truly remarkable," Izzie chimed in, glancing at Alex. "Right, Alex?"

Alex, engrossed in reviewing a patient's case, sat absorbed in reading a medical textbook while devouring his lunch, replied dismissively "I don't care".

Curiosity piqued, George asked while drinking his water, "Do you think he'll accept the offer?".

Meredith's face held a complex blend of hope and uncertainty, with her eyebrows slightly raised and her lips forming a subtle, hesitant smile, she replied, "I don't know. I really hope so".

She then shifted her gaze to Izzie and Alex, a curious look in her eyes. "While we were leaving Lucas' room earlier, Lexie mentioned that she told you about Lucas being our half-brother. How come you never told the kid?"

Before Izzie could respond, Alex interjected, "It wasn't our place to say anything."

Meredith nodded, accepting Alex's explanation. Just then, Lexie approached their table, with a polite smile, she greeted everyone. "Hi."

Meredith gazes at her half-sister. Her expression remained neutral.

"Anyway, I think what you're doing for Lucas is truly amazing. I, for one—"

"I didn't do it for you, I did it for Lucas'," Meredith stated while cutting Lexie off, her voice laced with venom.

Without giving the surprise Lexie a chance to respond, she swiftly gathered her belongings and departed from the table. While Izzie and George sympathized with the compassionate girl, the rest of the group showed little outward concern.

In fact, Christina, as Lexie's immediate superior, instructed her to attend to her patients before following Meredith's lead as she left the table.

Later that night, Izzie could be seen in Lucas' room, diligently completing the final entries on his chart. "Well, it appears that you'll be discharged tomorrow. You're completely healthy now, and there's no reason to keep you in the hospital any longer," she stated matter-of-factly.

"Finally, I've been itching to escape from this room," Lucas quipped with a playful tone, causing Izzie to chuckle softly as she remembered that Lucas has a tendency to run away.

Taking a moment before leaving, Izzie turned to Lucas and asked, "So, are you going to accept Meredith's offer?" Unlike Cristina, Izzie was a doctor who cared not only about the physical ailments but also about the overall well-being of her patients.

"Yeah, I've been contemplating it all day," Lucas replied, his expression thoughtful. "And I think I'll accept Meredith's offer. It's definitely a better option than where the government is taking me," he added, recognizing that as an orphan in this new world, his choices were limited.

Declining Meredith's offer would likely lead him to a foster home, an environment where it would be challenging to fully utilize his gifts. On the other hand, accepting her offer would provide him with a more stable and conducive living situation. The year was 2008, with numerous opportunities on the horizon, Lucas didn't want to miss out, and having a secure place to call home was a prerequisite for his plans to come to fruition.

Upon hearing Lucas' decision, Izzie's face lit up with genuine happiness. "That's wonderful news! Meredith would be delighted to hear that" she exclaimed, a warm smile spreading across her face.